Southern Water completes £17m investment in Isle of Wight water supply works

Phil Black - PII Editor 28/11/2025

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Southern Water has completed its major £17m upgrade of the Sandown Water Supply Works on the Isle of Wight, marking a significant milestone in improving the island’s drinking water infrastructure. The large scale programme has created a modernised treatment facility designed to enhance water quality, service reliability and long term resilience for local communities.

The multi million pound investment delivers a fully updated site capable of supplying high quality potable water to service reservoirs across the island. Construction began in September 2023, with the new plant successfully reaching full operational status in September 2025.

The scheme forms part of Southern Water’s wider commitment to strengthen water security across the South of England as climate pressures, population growth and ageing infrastructure increase demand on local networks.

Southampton based contractor Trant Engineering led the installation of the upgraded assets, which include advanced clear water tanks, high efficiency pumps, updated water quality monitoring systems and an entirely new high voltage incoming electrical supply with associated distribution equipment.

The project required careful planning to ensure the works continued operating throughout construction so island residents experienced no disruption to their drinking water supply.

Southern Water’s Project Manager, Amar Ram, highlighted the long term benefits of the improvements, saying,

“These improvements will enhance our service and improve resilience, providing a better experience to our customers for years to come.”

He added that delivering the project has been particularly rewarding due to the positive impact it will have on local households and businesses.

“It's been a pleasure working on this project, knowing our efforts will positively impact the community. We're excited about the future and the benefits for everyone on the Isle of Wight.”

Tony Jacobson, Trant Engineering’s Contracts Manager, praised the collaborative approach between the contractor and Southern Water:

“Our local team worked with Southern Water to deliver this improvement to the drinking water assets on the Island. It’s been good to return something back to the community, utilising the local supply chain and much of the workforce are residents of the Isle of Wight.”

The company’s involvement has supported the regional economy through the use of local skills, suppliers and specialist engineering services.

Trant Engineering, also based in Southampton, continues to support Southern Water on several key infrastructure projects across the region as the utility provider invests in upgrading essential water assets, boosting resilience and improving the overall reliability of drinking water for customers.